Stationary drive for outboard motors



Sept. 7, 1954 I R. A. GLOAD ETAL 2,638,299

STATIONARY DRIVE FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS Filed March 10, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a James E. Lavalley INVENTORS Attorneys Sept. 7, 1954 R. A. GLOAD ET AL Filed March 10, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2 -7

7 I4---- as Richard A. Gland Peter 0. Gland James E. Lavalley INVENTORS.

Patented Sept. 7, 1954 STATIONARY DRIVE FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS Richard A. Gload, Westfield, Mass, and Peter C. Gload and James E. Lavalle'y, Plattsburg, N. Y.

Application March 10, 1952, Serial No. 275,818

6 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in steering apparatus for outboard motors and the primary object of the present invention is to provide a device whereby the rudder may be actuated While the motor supporting portion of an outboard motor is held stationary.

Another important object of the present inven tion is to provide a stationary drive for outboard motors capable of rotating in an angle of 360 with a slight twist of a handle in either direction, without moving any portion of the outboard motor above the rudder.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device of the aforementioned character wherein the absence of motion in the upper portion of the outboard motor eliminates shifting of weight therefore maintaining balance.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a steering apparatus for outboard motors that is simple and practical in construction, strong and reliable in use, efiicient and durable in operation, inexpensive to manufacture, assemble and service, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operations as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the present invention applied to a boat (shown in section) Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional view of the present invention;

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 3-4 of Figure 1; and,

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 4-5 of Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the numeral It) represents an upper elongated casting or casing composed of two sections l2 and I4 that are removably secured together by fasteners [6 that are received in external registering lugs IE and 20 at the abutting longitudinal edges of the sections I2 and M.

The upper end of the casing I6 supports the power plant 22 of the outboard motor and the fuel tank therefor, and the lower wall 24' of the casing I is provided with an opening 26 and a depending peripheral flange 28 concentric the opening 26, and which enters a groove 28a in a rudder section.

The rudder-forming lower casing 30 of the out-- board motor is also composed of two hollow sections 32 and 34 whose abutting edges carry external lugs 35 and 38 that are connected together by fasteners 1W. Forward section 32 is formed with an internal socket- 42 inwhich there is Dositioned a tapered roller bearing 44 that receives the forward end of a propeller shaft 46.

The rear section 34- is formed with an open-- ing accommodating the rearwardly extending end of the shaft 46. A tapered roller bearing 48 is removably held at the opening and about the shaft 4.6 by a flange 50 about the opening and a retainer ring 52 removably secured to section 34. The rear end of'shaft 46 carries a propeller 5 l that is driven by the power plant 22. The drive shaft 56' of the power plant extends through the sleeve portion 58 at the upper end of the lower casing 30' and the lower end of the shaft 56 supports a beveled gear 60 that meshes with a beveled gear Glfixed on the propeller shaft 46. A collar 64 is held on the sleeve 58 and iretains a thrust bearing 66 on the sleeve 58 and against wall 2 1. Another thrust bearing $8 embraces the sleeve 58' and is disposed between; the lower wall of casing ill and the upper wall of the casing 30. A resilient Water sealing ring 10 is disposed within thefianges 28 and about bear ing 68 to prevent vat'errrom entering the opening 2B in which sleeve 58" is positioned for rota tion.

The lower end of sleeve 58 is provided with a countersink 12 in which there is disposed a capered roller hea ing" 74 that underlies a resilient seal ring 16' in tlie countersink.

A tapered bearing 18 is fitted in a socket 66 on the upper wall of the casing section [4 and receives the upper endof a manually rotatable shaft 82 that parallels the driven shaft 56. A ring element 84 formed on the inner periphery of the section It has a bearing 86 received therein for the lower portion of shaft 82. The lower end of shaft 82 supports a gear 88 that meshes with circumferertially spaced teeth 98 formed at the upper end of sleeve 58.

An internal sleeve 92- is' formed with section I: and rotatably supports a short shaft 94 whose inner e d carries a beveled gear 95' that meshes with a beveled gear 98 on shaft 82-. A bearing element 1% removablys'ecured to section [2 also rotatably supports shaft 94. A sleeve member 3 I02 is fitted over the bearing I and is keyed to the outer end of shaft 94 by a tapered pin I 04.

A pair of diametrically opposed counter recesses I in the sleeve member I02 receive balls I08 that are pressed radially inwardly of member I 02 by springs I I0 to selectively enter circumferentially spaced depressions H2 in the outer periphery of the bearing I00 to yieldingly retain the member I02 and shaft 94 in a rotated 'position.

The bifurcated end II4 of a hand grip H6 receives a tongue II8 projecting from member I02 and the end I I4 and tongue II8 are coupled to-' gether by a cotter pin I20 and pin I22. A spring pressed ball I24 in a countersink in the tongue I I8 enters a recess I26 in end'II l to align the pin receiving openings in end I I4 and tongue I I8.

A pulley I28 is fixed on shaft 82 just above the clamp I38 that fastens the motor to the stern prising an upper casing having a lower wall with an opening therein, a lower rudder-forming casing having an upper wall and a sleeve portion extending upwardly from said upper wall and through the opening into the upper casing, bearing means between ,the sleeve portion and the lower wall, additional bearing means between said upper and lower walls and concentric with said sleeve portion, a propeller shaft rotatably supported by the lower casing, a power driven shaft operatively connected to the propeller shaft and extending through the sleeve portion, said sleeve portion having drcumferentially spaced teeth, a manually rotatable shaft in the upper casings, hearings in the ipper casing rotatably supporting the manually rotatable shaft and holding the latter parallel to the power driven shaft, a gear on the manually rotatable shaft meshing with the teeth on\the sleeve portions, and a hand grip rotatably. supported by the upper casing and connected within said casing to the manually rotatable shaft:

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said sleeve portion includes a lover end projecting below said upper wall and having a counterbore, and a roller bearing fitted in said counterbore and embracing the power driver. shaft.

3. The combination of claim 2 and a sealing ring in the counterbore above the roller bearing.

4. The combination of claim 1 and a peripheral flange on the lower wall concentricwith the sleeve and having a lower edge extending toward the lower casing, and a water sealing ring within the flange and engaged between said lower wall and said lower casing and preventing water from entering the opening in said lower wall said upper wall having a peripheral groove accommodating the lower edge of said flange.

5. An outboard propeller mechanism comprising an elongated substantially vertically disposed casing having a lower wall with an Cpening, a, power plant supported on the upper end of the casing and including a drive shaft extending axship to the drive shaft and operatively connected to said sleeve portion for rotating the rudder, and a hand actuated means carried by the casing and operatively connected to said rudder for rotating the rudder, a peripheral rib on the lower wall of said casing and having a lower edge, said rudder including a top wall with a continuous groove accommodating the lower edge of said rib, a thrust bearing concentric with said sleeve portion and said rib and engaging the top wall and the lower wall, and a sealing ring under the lower wall and concentric with said thrust bearing and said rib and disposed radially outwardly from the thrustbearing and radially inwardly of said rib to prevent Water from entering the opening in said lower wall.

6. An outboard propeller mechanism comprising an elongated substantially vertically disposed casing having a lower wall with an opening, a. power plant supported on the upper end of the casing and including a drive shaft extending axially through the casing, a hollow rudder having an upper sleeve portion extending upwardly through the opening into the casing, said drive shaft being journaled in said sleeve portion and said sleeve portion being rotatable within said opening, a propeller shaft rotatably supported by said rudder and operatively connected to the drive shaft within the rudder to be rotated by said drive shaft, a driven shaft rotatably supported in said casing in spaced parallel relationship to the drive shaft and operatively connected to said sleeve portion for rotating the rudder, and a hand actuated means carried by the casing and operatively connected to said rudder for rotating the rudder, a peripheral rib on the lower wall of said casing and having a lower edge, said rudder including a top wall with a continuous groove accommodating the lower edge of said rib, a thrust bearing concentric with said sleeve portion and said rib and engaging the top wall and the lower wall, and a sealing ring under the lower wall and concentric with said thrust bearing and said rib and disposed radially outwardly from the thrust bearing and radially inwardly of said rib to prevent water from entering the opening in said lower wall, a collar fixed on the sleeve portion above said lower wall, and a second thrust bearing about the sleeve portion and disposed under the collar and upon said lower wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 675,722 Ducassou June 4, 1901 1,120,485 Heinke Dec. 8, 1914 2,156,938 Edwards May 2, 1939 2,458,813 Wanzer Jan. 11, 1949 2,545,502 Torester Mar. 20, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 289,894 Italy Oct. 31, 1931 469,329 Great Britain July 23, 1937 

